“This legislation is about signifying to our men and women in uniform that Pennsylvania appreciates their service, and no matter where a veteran hails from, he or she has a home in Pennsylvania,” said Barrar. “Veterans, who have proven their concern for their fellow man through their military service, are exactly the kind of people we want to attract to Pennsylvania. The goal of this bill is to entice veterans to come here for college, with the hope that they will remain in the Commonwealth as permanent residents.”

Barrar noted that residency can be difficult to establish for veterans who have to move where the military tells them to go, which could hinder their access to affordable secondary education.

House Bill 662 was approved by the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Barrar, along with several other initiatives. The committee also authorized the following legislation:

Senate Bill 707, authored by Sen. Tim Solobay (D-Allegheny/Beaver/Greene/Washington/Westmoreland), would allow a military spouse to be granted a military leave of absence from an educational institution when his or her spouse is called to active duty.
House Bill 527, authored by Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver), establishes the “Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Memorial Flag.”
House Bill 2038, authored by Rep. Tim Hennessey (R-Chester) would require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to perform background checks on any applicant for EMS certification and would allow the department to deny certification if the applicant has been convicted of felony crimes and other offenses directly related to the profession of emergency medical services.

All legislation approved by the committee today will now go before the full House for consideration.

A recording of the committee meeting, along with Barrar’s legislative priorities, is available at SteveBarar.com. Barrar also posts legislative information at Facebook.com/RepBarrar.